Shelf



J. G. L. SKAR Oct. 6, 1936.

SHELF Filed Dec. 19, 1935 Patented Oct. 6, 1936 SHELF John G. L. Skal', Jamestown, N. Y., assignor to .Art Metal Construction Company, Jamestown,

Application December 19, 1935, Serial No. 55,207

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in bracket shelves and more particularly to metal shelves such as employed in library bookstacks of that sort in which theshelves aremounted on .5 the upright columns orshelf supports ofthe structure by brackets which are attached to the shelves, usually at their,ends,; so as to serve also `as end pieces or walls for the shelves, andare detachably or adjustably connectedto the shelf An object of the invention is to provide a bracket shelf of this type of desirable, simple and economical construction, in which the supporting bracket or end piece is connected tothe shelf so L that it can remain in connection therewith and can be folded from its shelf-supporting position vto a position closeto or parallel with the shelf for economizing. space `in storing or shipping the shelves, andmay be releasably retained inV one or another of its positions to facilitate handling the shelves or connecting them with the shelf supports.v f

Other objects of theinvention are to provide `a shelf which has simple, reliablemeans for releasably retaining the supporting; bracket in either its shelf-supporting or folded position against unintentional movement from such position; in which the hinge or movable connection between the shelf and the supporting bracket and the means for releasably retaining the bracket in its supporting and folded positions are formed by integral parts of the shelf and bracket; and also to provide a bracket self vwhich'has the other Ifeatures of advantage and improvement herein- 4after described and set Aforth in the claims;

In the accompanying drawing: f

1 is a fragmentary, frontelevation, -ona reduced scale, of a library stack or shelving structurehaving bracket shelves embodyingmy inventOIl. Y Fig.v2 is a transverse sectional elevation on an enlarged scale, of one of .the bracket shelves, showing the bracket in shelf-supporting position.

Fig. 3 is a similar section showing the bracket shifted to position for folding it toward the shelf.

Fig. 4 is a similar section 'showing the bracket folded against the shelf.

. Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 4, but showing the bracket shifted to the postion in which it is retained in its folded position.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary transverse section, on .line 6-6, Fig. 8, showing the same position of the parts as Fig. 4,v 1

Fig. 7 is aview similar to Fig. ,6, but showing the parts in the position showninFlg. 5.

vbeyond perpendicularity to theshelf.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary, longitudinal section on line 8 8', Fig. 7, showing the folded position of Vthe bracket.

Fig. 9 is a similar section but showing the position of the parts when'the bracket is in shelf- 5 supporting position. Y

Fig; 10 is a fragmentary,.sectional plan View of the Vshelf as viewed from below.

I0 represents the shelves and I I the upright "columnsor supports of a library stackor shelf 'l0 structure, and I2 represents brackets at the opposite ends of each shelf and attached tov the shelf and to the columns II so'as to support the shelf from the columns.. The shelves may be of the usual or any suitable construction and, as 15 shown, each shelf consists of a sheet-metal plate bent along its front and rear edges to provide downwardly, inwardly and upwardly-turned stii- -lening flanges I3, and bent at its ends to provide `down-turned stilfening end il'anges having'in- 20 extend. through narrow slots I 6 inthe horizontal plate of the shelf parallel with and spaced inwardly somewhat from the adjacent end of the shelf. The. lugs are offset from'lthe hinge edge yofv the bracket a distanceV about equal Vto the V35 thickness of the shelf plate and are adapted to turn 'inthe slots I6 kto permit 4the bracket to fold or swing from its upright or shelf-supporting position to a position in which it lies flat against or close to the shelf. When the bracket is in its 40 "upright position, the hinge lugs will bear against the underface of the shelf plate and thus prevent the bracket from swinging outwardly beyondthe intended vertical position. The hingeV slots I6 are preferably formed by punching out from the 45 shelf plate narrow tongues or lips I'I which are bent upwardly so as to serve as stops to engage the bracket and cooperate with the hinge lugs to prevent the bracket from being swung outwardly The pro- 50 vision of the stop lips I'I lessens the liability of the hinge lugs being bent out of their intended position by outward pressure on the bracket.

The hingelugs are of a length to pass through the slots I6, but in order toprevent the disen- 55 maintain the bracket in permanent connection.

with the shelf, each hinge lug is preferably provided at one end with a reduced extension I8 which, after the hinge lugs are inserted through the slots I6, are bent laterally out of the plane of the lugs and slots, as best shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 10 so that these bent extensions will engage the edges of the slots and thus prevent removal of the lugs from the slots. These bent parts I8, however, do not interfere with the turning of the hinge lugs in the slots in the swinging move` ments of the bracket to and from its shelf-v supporting and folded positions.

In order to releasably retain the bracket in its shelf-supporting position perpendicularly to the shelf and also in its folded position against the shelf, one of the hinge lugs I5, for instance the lug adjacent the front edge of the bracket, is preferably undercut or notched at I9 at one end of that .portion of the lug which occupies the slot I6 so as topermit the lug to shift in its slot I6 lengthwise of the latter or transversely of the shelf, and the shelf isprovided with a retaining projection or part 20 with which the notched end of the lug is engaged by shifting the bracket ktransversely of .the shelf. The engagement of the end of the hinge lug with the retaining part 20 will prevent swinging movement of the bracket. As shown, the retaining projection or part 20 is formed by an upbent integral portion of the inturned end flange I4 of the shelf. This retainingprojection 20 is spaced inwardly away from the vertical portion of the end flange of the shelf and its upper end is also separated from the bottom face of the shelf by a space 2I, sd

that by shifting the .bracket rearwardly ortransversely of the shelf when the .bracket is in its perpendicular shelf-supporting position, the inner end of the hinge lug I5, which then extends horizontally against the under face of the shelf, will be moved into the space 2I above the top edge of the retaining .projection .20, and by end gagement therewith, will prevent the bracket fromswinging out of its perpendicular position. Similarly, by shifting the ybracket rearwardly or transversely of the shelf when it is in.its folded position, the end of the hinge .lug I5, which then depends vertically below the shelf, willbe placed Vbehind the upright outer edge 22 of the retaining `projection 20 and, by engagement therewith, will prevent vthe bracket from .swinging out of its -folded position unless the bracket .is rst `shifted forwardly to disengage the hinge lug from the retaining projection. Thehinge lugs and hinge slots are so positioned on the .bracket and the shelf thatwhen .the bracket is swung toits up.

-right position and shifted rearwardly to engage `the hinge lug with the retaining projection, the

bracket will be in its proper vshelf-supporting position in which it can be connected with .the column or shelf support II.

The brackets can be removably secured to the columns or supports II, for supporting the shelf Vin position in the stack'or shelving structure, in

any suitable way, the brackets for this .purpose being preferably provided at the upper portions of `their rear edges with rearwardly and downwardly directed hooks 23 adapted to engage in vertical slots 24 in the columns or shelf supports. 'As usual, these slots for the reception of the hooks 23 are spaced'vertically along the columns or supports so as to permit the brackets to be engaged therewith to support the shelves at different desired elevations, and the brackets are preferably provided at the lower portions of their rear edges with rearwardly extending projections 25, each adapted to enter one of the slots of a column or support to cooperate with the hooks 23 in holding the shelves rigid on the supports or columns. The relation of the parts of the shelf and brackets is such that when the brackets have been shifted rearwardly to engage their hinge lugs I5 with the projections20 to retain the brackets in shelf-supporting position, the hooks 23 and projections 25 on the rear edges of the brackets will be in position for engagement in the slots in the shelf supports, and when the brackets are engaged with the shelf supports, the rear edge of the shelf will be in a position to engage the front faces of the supports so that the shelves will be stationarily and rigidly held in .place on the supports.

In the construction illustrated in the drawing and above described, the bracket is arranged to fold downwardly upon the top of the shelf from a shelf-supporting position in which it extends upwardly from the shelf, but manifestly the bracket could be arranged to fold upwardly under the shelf from a shelf-.supporting position in which it ex tends downwardly from the shelf. This would require-only an obvious reversal of the'parts with lthe slots I6 for the bracket hinge lugs I5 formed in the horizontal end flange I4 'of the-shelf.

I claim as my invention: A .Y

1. The combination o'f a shelf, a supporting bracket therefor connected to the shelf tomove Vfrom a shelf-supporting position to a folded position substantially parallel with the shelf, said Ybracket being also shiftable Yrelatively to the shelf 'from a shelf-supporting position to a folded posiftion substantially parallel with the shelf, said bracket being also shiftable in each of its said positions relatively to-the shelf in a direction different from said folding movement, and parts on said Hbracket and shelf which cooperate when said bracket is so shifted forreleasably retaining the bracketY in its folded and shelf-supporting positions in oppositionftofsaid folding movement.

3. The combinationof a shelf, a supporting bracket therefor having an integral hinge lugentering and shaped to turn i-n afslot in the shelf to permit the bracket to swing from-a shelf supporting position to 'a folded position, said Abracket being also Ashiftablein adirection different from the direction of its swinging movement, and

a part on said shelf with which said hinge lug is engaged by such shifting of the bracket for releasably lretaining thebracket in at least one di its saidpositions. v

4. The combination of a shelf,` a supporting Ibracket therefor having an integral hinge lug entering land shaped to turn in a slot in the shelf to permit the bracket to swing from a shelf-supporting position to a folded position, said bracket ybeing also shiftable in a direction different from the direction of its folding movement, and la. part on said shelf -with -whichsaidhinge lug is engaged by such shifting of the bracket when in either of said positions for releasably retaining the bracket in either its lfolded orshelf-supDOrting position.

5. The combination of a -shelf,a supporting bracket therefor having an integral hinge lug entering and shaped to turn in a slot in the shelf in a plane transverse to the length of the slot to permit the bracket to swing from a shelf-supporting position to a folded position, said lug being also shiftable lengthwise in said slot, and a part with which said hinge lug is engaged by shifting the lug lengthwise for releasably retaining said bracket in one of its said positions.

6. The combination of a shelf, a supporting bracket therefor having an integral hinge lug entering and shaped to turn in a slot in the shelf to permit the bracket to swing from a shelf-supporting position to a folded position, said lug being also slidable in the slot, and a xed projection on said shelf with which said hinge lug is engaged by sliding the lug in said slot in a direction different from the direction of its turning movement for releasably retaining the bracket in at least one of its said positions.

7. The combination of a shelf, a supporting bracket therefor having an integral hinge lug entering and shaped to turn in a slot in the shelf to permit the bracket to swing from a shelf-supporting position to a folded position, said lug being also slidable in the slot, and a fixed projection on said shelf with which said hinge lug is engaged by sliding the lug in said slot when the bracket is in either of its said positions for releasably retaining the bracket in either its folded or shelf-supporting position.

8. The combination of a shelf, a supporting bracket therefor having an integral hinge lug entering and shaped to turn in a narrow slot in the shelf to permit the bracket to swing from a shelf-supporting position to a folded position adjacent the shelf, said lug having a portion bent at an angle to said slot to prevent disengagement of the lug from the slot, and parts on said bracket and shelf which are engaged by shifting the bracket relatively to the shelf for releasably retaining the bracket in at least one of its said positions.

JOHN G. L. SKAR. 

